Penn State is complicit by trying to cover up some basic facts.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/11/a-death-at-penn-state/540657/
I think Penn State is going to lose millions of dollars in the near future due to this. Will they then actually rethink their approach to frats?
Penn State has lost $110 million in the Sandusky case so far and it hasn’t changed the attitude that football is king. They will just cut student aid to make up for it.
“at least 18 drinks in over 1 hour and 22 minutes,”
Now I’m amazed that only one student died. What happened to all the other pledges?
I can’t fathom Thanksgiving in all these families.
@TomSrOfBoston “Penn State has lost $110 million in the Sandusky case so far and it hasn’t changed the attitude that football is king. They will just cut student aid to make up for it.”
This is why Penn State is one of the few schools I would have actively argued against my kids attending if they had expressed an interest in attending (which so far they have not). There is something deeply, fundamentally wrong with the culture of this place that they value these non-academic institutions – football, frats, etc. – above basic moral obligation let alone academics. I’m sure there are some fine professors there and some great academic programs. But the institution itself is rotten at its core.
I have yet to see people call Florida State, Louisiana State, the University of Michigan, or any of the other many universities where stuff like this has happened “rotten to their core.” It’s pervasive. The problems with Greek life and sports can’t be chalked up to One Bad University, just as the problems with sexual assault can’t be chalked up to a few bad apples. Look how many cases there are of each. It’s EVERYWHERE.
And my previous post is not to minimize the issue. I am merely echoing an argument I remember making either earlier on this thread or on a similar one – if you can write the perpetrators off as “monsters,” you get to ignore their behavior. The rest of us are safe, right? They’re monsters, we’re people. But that’s not true – they’re not monsters. They’re humans, just like you.
If it’s just one “rotten” university, then everyone else is safe. But that’s not true either. Calling it just a Penn State problem ignores the fact that it can, and does, happen anywhere. Penn State is an example of the problem, not the end-all-be-all of it.
@bodangles I don’t agree it’s everywhere. My son applied to 16 schools and only a few of them had any Greek life – the rest had completely disbanded it, some many decades ago. Most of these schools bragged about it during their tours and competed over who did it sooner, which says a lot about what they think prospective students and their parents want to hear on the tour. I’m certainly not suggesting Penn State is the only example. But Penn State has seen more than it’s share of major scandal in the last decade. Again, I am not criticizing the academic reputation, the quality of the faculty or individual students. I am criticizing the administrative institution itself that has consistently demonstrated a lack of basic moral judgment, an utter lack of ethics and only a token level of remorse for their wrong doings. To me that is an apt definition of “rotten to the core.” If this school had integrity it would have been modified by what has happened, quickly assumed full responsibility, completely cleaned house administratively and brought in credible outsiders to wholesale reform itself. Instead it fought accountability in every way, rushed its football program back as soon as possible, still honors some of the people responsible for its past scandals, and has consistently looked the other way on Greek system abuses except when forced to show some kind of short-term response.
I think it is both. The behavior is everywhere and that culture needs to change. But when an institution and its administration repeatedly turn a blind eye to it or provide “slap on the wrist” policies and punishments that they then don’t enforce, yes, that is a rotten apple.
And…there hasn’t been another situation in any other place that matched the evilness and self preservation that the Sandusky case brought to light. Those that allowed that to go on for years are still viewed as hero’s as Joe pa’s cutout is still carried down the street and his son Jay pa was elected to the board of trustees. There is absolutely no comparison to this one…only PSU.
The former University president and AD went to jail. If Joe PA we’re still alive…he would have likely served time as well. They university has been lucky to have Centre County protect it’s reputation as much as possible in both the nearly 2 decade long sexual child abuse as well as this year’s frat tragedy.
It’s not about “monsters.” It’s about people who hold the wrong values and have the wrong incentives being in positions of authority. Again, Penn State is not an isolated case, but has become the poster child between both the sports and frat incidents and their poor responses to them. They hold the wrong values because they are comfortable doing things like covering up child molestation and other abuses in the first place. That’s a bright line a moral person doesn’t cross, period, for any level of incentive or regardless of any disincentive short of gun-to-head. And they are incentivized badly in that they are rewarded for placing the success of their sports franchisees above other more appropriate priorities for a university, like its academics and the welfare of its students. And to value institutions like the Greek system because of the fundraising and recruitment benefits even if they have evidence the system is contrary to the welfare of their students.
Except every single story coming out of Hollywood right now.
It’s. Everywhere.
Yes…but as far as college/universities…PSU is the bellwether.
@bodangles There are people who do bad things spread out all over the place, in every industry, every country, etc. But that doesn’t make Penn State as an institution no better/worse than any other. It’s not about bad things happening within their walls or on their watch, it’s about what they do about it when they discover it and how they try and change. If anything, Hollywood has been accused of being too reactive and trigger happy whenever a new allegation arises now. They are rapidly severing relationships worth tens or even hundreds-of-millions to them rather than continue to support outed abusers. They are spending millions re-shooting movies to remove people under suspicion. They are shelving movies and shows already filmed rather than release them. And some of them are admitting fault, apologizing, taking responsibility, etc. And then there’s Penn State who’s reaction is more on par with Judge Roy Moore and the local Alabama politicians who say even if it happened it wasn’t that big a deal and shouldn’t interfere with anything now. For it’s many flaws, I would take Hollywood’s reaction over Penn State’s any day.
New charges brought in Penn State hazing death after deleted video is recovered…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/11/13/new-charges-brought-in-penn-state-hazing-death-after-deleted-video-is-recovered/?utm_term=.8d237251cf32
This article allows you to see/watch the press conference held by District Attorney Stacy Parks.
You wold think that young people would know that in the ethersphere nothing is ever deleted.
Hollywood’s reaction?! You mean, adult, sober, respected women telling people they’ve been assaulted and getting a shrug or an oh well? The reaction where your coworkers and colleagues know a man’s reputation and fail to offer protection or herd insulation? For years and years and years? Where lawyers make it their business to enable this behavior again and again? Where the police don’t investigate and inquiries go away? But when it impacts the brand, the bottom line, NOW we’re all busy rejecting the perps?
Penn State has plenty of re-prioritizing to do, no question. But Hollywood’s mock outrage is no model of sucess for women.
What does 18 drinks in 82 minutes look like? Penn State hazing death timeline…
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/11/penn_state_hazing_death_18_dri.html
Timeline according to the affidavit…
So when does Penn’s “re-prioritizing” begin? Apparently a massive long term child molestation scandal was insufficient to even put a dent in their unhealthy culture. Now they have over a dozen students implicated in homicide and a cover-up. Still waiting for a fundamental shift…
^^Easy mistake, but don’t confuse PENN with Penn STATE…
What is this all about??
Unrelated investigation at Penn State frat helped police find new video in Piazza hazing death…
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/11/penn_state_hazing_timothy_piaz.html